German volleyball players have a new motto this summer, which is: “14 Strong”. “We really say we have 14 strong players and we support each other,” diagonal attacker Kimberly Drunioak told Tagespiegel over the phone.
So far, they have lived up to this motto at the World Cup, which is currently being held in Poland and the Netherlands: they showed fighting spirit in all four games and after two victories against Bulgaria and Kazakhstan, even That angered defending champions Serbia and Olympic champions USA. With this, they have already qualified for the next round and can rest ahead of the last group game against Canada on Saturday (4pm, Eurosport).
Druni, who missed the Nations League in the summer and only joined the national team for the World Cup, was “absolutely happy to be back”. In Arnsheim, Netherlands, she also had the support of her family, who especially came for the opening game. “Especially when my little sister is there, I’m really proud,” Druniok says, “and like to set an example.”
Players were already building confidence in games against Bulgaria and Kazakhstan, where they had no trouble crossing; showed that they can certainly compete at the international level. In the game that followed, he partially lived up to his role as a “piata”, as captain Jennifer Janiska described the team.
As expected, the game against Serbia on Thursday was difficult, says Druni. “Still, we were always able to keep up and we were just a few points short of winning the set.” Throughout the season, he and his allies stood in front of their opponents and, thanks to Druni, even equalized in 21:21. third set. In the end, it wasn’t enough to win the set. “It showed us that we could stay. And it showed what potential we have and where we can go.”
clear defeat against the United States
German volleyball players, on the other hand, apparently lost on Friday evening at 0:3 (17:25, 13:25, 24:26) against the United States. They still qualify for the second round, which is played in two groups of eight, as they have already overtaken Bulgaria and Kazakhstan. There has never been a World Cup medal for German volleyball players, whether that changes remains to be seen in the coming days.
Despite the results, Druni could also get something positive from the tournament: “These games are the most attractive to me in the World Cup. I see it as a challenge to play against such strong teams, get ahead of myself and go ahead with courage. I’m really enjoying it.” She also wants to enjoy the upcoming games – no matter what it is against.
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